Victoria was awakened by a shrieking sound coming from above. It sounded like someone in severe pain. She jumped out of bed, grabbed her robe and dashed out the door to run up the stairs as fast as she could possibly move.

She heard the sound again which spurred her to even greater speed. I wonder what is happening. I have never heard anything like that. I wonder if one of the children is being hurt or has fallen or-or. Her thoughts were cut short by the emergence from the attic of a small pink animal, followed closely by John, Mary and Naomi. The little animal squealed in terrified vigor, and the children yelled for Victoria to stop their pig. Their pig? Pig? What is a pig doing in the house? She made an attempt to intercept the little animal, but he slipped neatly between her legs, pushing her gown and robe so tightly between her legs that it caused her to lose her balance and she fell with a resounding thud.

John and Mary swerved around her before she could ask any questions, but she grabbed Naomi, who was only about three years old, but was running as fast as her short little legs would allow.

"Naomi, what in the world is going on?" she asked as she held tightly to the squirming child.

"The pig got away, and we've gotta' catch him afore Pa finds out."

"What is a pig doing in the house?" Victoria held Naomi tighter, determined to get an answer if possible.

"Why, m'lady, Mary was afraid he would freeze out there in the barn so she sneaked out and brought him in. No one was supposed to find out."

"I guess we had better try to catch him, then." Victoria turned on the stairs and sprinted down them and into the long hall where the pig and children had disappeared. She looked up just in time to see the entire unlikely entourage go into the dining room. She ran as fast as she could to the dining room where she encountered unadulterated pandemonium. The children were on their hands and knees trying to reach the terrified pig which had taken refuge under the table. Cordelia was standing in a corner with a horrified look on her face. Jonathon simply sat there with a stunned, surprised look on his.

"What the bloody hell?" he bellowed.

"The pig got away," Victoria yelled back.

"The pig got away? What pig?" he bawled.

"The McDougal's pig." Before she could further enlighten him the pig saw the door to the kitchen stairs open and made a dash for it. A footman entered with a well laden tray of food. He lost his balance and fell into the room with the food and tray preceding him. Dishes clattered on the tiled floor adding to the cacophony of sound. Victoria jumped over him and dashed down the stairs after the pig. John fell over the footman; Mary jumped nimbly over both and Naomi dropped down on the floor in utter dejection and howled as loud as it was possible for one so small.

Jonathon joined the fray. He jumped up to help the footman and then quickly descended the stairs into the kitchen. There Jacob stood holding the pig and apologizing to Victoria. "I ain't been out in the barn since I left the little beastie last night. I didna' know they took him up stairs."

"John and Mary were afraid it would freeze out there without its mother." Victoria said. A smile tugged at her lips and she appeared to be about to burst into the giggles.

"Might have, but that ain't no excuse for them to fetch him inside."

"I think you need to see about Naomi." Jonathon turned to Martha. "It has all become too much for her and she is sitting in the middle of the room howling her head off."